Rail-bending device.



"No. 888,847. PATENTED MAY 26, 1908.

v. PILIA.

I RAIL BENDING DEVICE. APPLICATION F-ILED MAR.12,'1908.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RAIL-BENDING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 12, 1908.

Patented May 26, 1908 Serial N0. 420,627-

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ViTo PIL1A,a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at California, in the county of Washington and Stateof Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inRail-Bend ing Devices, of which the following is a specification,reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to a rail bending device, and the primary objectof my inven* tion is to provide a simple and effective means for easilyand quickly bending a rail or similar structure.

Another object of this invention is to provide a bending device that canbe easily clamped to a rail and actuated to bend said rail.

To this end, I have devised a novel bending device that can be manuallyactuated with considerable ease and one operator, the device beingconstructed to exert a steady and progressive pressure upon a rail tobend the same to any desired curvature.

My invention comprehends certain novel structural elements which arecombined to produce a strong and durable device that can be manufacturedat a comparatively small cost and will be free from injury by ordinaryuse.

The invention will be presently described in detail, and reference willnow be had to the drawings forming part of this specification, wherein,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my device as clamped upon a rail. Fig. 2is a plan of the same. Fig. 3 is a cross sectional View of the devicetaken on the line 50-00 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a central longitudinalsection of the device. Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view of a ratchetlever, artly broken away and partly in section, ancFFig. 6 is a verticaltransverse section of the same.

In the accompanying drawin s, 1 designates a yoke having hook shapedends 2, for clamping the head 3 of a rail. The yoke 1 is formed with acentral boss 4 having a ball In the boss 4 is revolubly mounted aninteriorly threaded sleeve 6 having an annular enlargement 7 adapted tofit in the race 5 and retain a plurality of anti-friction balls 8therein. The enlargement 7 is formed with a s ur wheel 9, and saidsleeve 6 is retained in t e boss 4 by a washer 10 and a nut 11, theformer fitting upon the sleeve, While the latter is screwed thereon andfixed by a set screw 12.

Adjustably mounted in the sleeve 6 is a screw 13 said screw having aswiveled head at one end thereof for engaging the head 3 of the rail.The swiveled head comprises a block 14 having a groove 15 formed thereinto receive the head 3 of the rail. This block is revolubly retained u onthe screw 13 by a pin 16 extending into tie annular groove 17 of thescrew 13. The screw 13 adjacent to the block 14 is rovided with a collar18 having notches 19 ormed therein, these notches being ada ted to alinewith a notch 20 formed in the b ock 14, whereby a pivoted latch 21,carried by said block can be swung into the notches, to lock said blockwith respect to the collar 18.

U on the opposite end of the screw 13 is I fixe a sleeve 22 having arectangular shank 23, whereby a suitable instrument can be placed uponthe end of the screw for rotating the same.

Mounted upon the boss 4 by screws 24 is a plate 25 having bearings 26for a shaft 27, said shaft having rectangular ends 28. Upon the shaft 27between the bearings 26 are mounted cups 29 having suitable ball racesfor anti-friction balls 30 which engage the confronting faces of thebearings 26.

Fixed upon the shaft 27 intermediate the cups 29 is a worm 31 adapted tomesh with the spur wheel 9 previously mentioned.

Secured to the plate 25 by a screw 32 is a casing or housing 33 for thespur wheel 9, said casing or housing surrounding the screw 13, andhaving its upper edge cut away, as at 34 to provide clearance for theworm 31. Secured to the plate 25 by a screw 35 is a shield 36 for theworm 31, said shield being secured to the housing or casing 33 by screws37.

In connection with my bending device, I use a ratchet lever, comprisinga head 38 having a handle 39. The head 38 is cut away upon one side, asat 40 for a detachable side late 41. Journaled in said side plate anddim head 38 is a ratchet wheel 42 having a rectangular bore 43, whichpermits of said ratchet lever being placed upon the ends of the shaft 27or the end of the screw 13. Pivotally mounted in the head 38 is a pawl44 normally held in engagement with the ratchet wheel 42 by a spring 45secured to said head. After the yoke has been placed in engagement witha rail to be bent, the

screw 13 is rotated to lace the swiveled head against the rail, the bock of said head being free to rotate upon the screw. The ratchet leveris then laced u on the end of the screw 13 and is used until tfie screw13 firmly holds the swivel head in engagement with the rail. The ratchetlever is then removed and is placed u on either end 28 of the shaft 27.The ratc iet lever is then oscillated to rotate the worm 31 and impart arotary movement to the spur wheel 9. Prior, however, to rotating theworm 31, the latch 21 is placed in engagement with the notched collar18, to hold the screw 13 fixed with relation to the swiveled head,whereby when the spur wheel 9 is rotated, the screw 13 will be fedthrough the interiorly threaded sleeve 6.

It will be observed that I have devised a novel device, wherein I haveprovided mech anism for moving the swiveled head in two different waysagainst the structure to be bent, the first way including the screw, andthe second way including said screw together with the spur wheel andworm.

With the aid of the ratchet lever or suitable instrument, either theshaft 27 or the screw 13 can be conveniently actuated by 1 one operator,and it is in this connection that I save considerable labor, over railbending devices heretofore used.

The friction in connection with my device is considerably relieved bythe ball bearings thereof, and the novel and compact manner in which theelements of my device are ar ranged permits of the parts thereof beingreadily disassembled and renewed as occasion may demand.

The invention as above described is susceptible to such changes as arepermissible by the appended claims.

Having now described my invention what I claim as new, is

1. The combination with a rail, of a yoke adapted to clamp said rail, aninteriorly threaded sleeve revolubly mounted in said yoke, a spur wheelcarried by said sleeve, a screw adjustably mounted in said sleeve, aswiveled head carried by the end of said screw and adapted to engagesaid rail, bearings supported from said yoke, a shaft revolubly mountedin said bearings, a worm mounted upon said shaft and adapted to meshwith said spur wheel, a housing supported from said yoke for rotectingsaid spur wheel, a shield for guar ing said worm, a ratchet lever forrotating said screw and said shaft, and means carried by said swiveledhead for fixing said head with relation to said screw whereby said screwwill feed through said sleeve by virtue of said worm.

2. The combination with a rail, of a yoke adapted to be clamped thereon,a revoluble sleeve mounted in said yoke, a spur wheel carried by saidsleeve, a screw adjustably mounted in said sleeve, a swiveled headcarried by said screw for engaging said rail, a worm revolubly mountedabove said spur wheel and adapted to mesh therewith, a ratchet lever forimparting a rotary movement to said worm and screw, and means carried bysaid swiveled head for fixing said head with relation to said screwwhereby said screw will feed through said sleeve by virtue of said spurwheel.

3. A bending device comprising a yoke, a sleeve revolubly mounted insaid yoke, a spur wheel carried by said sleeve, a screw adjustablymounted in said sleeve, a swivel head carried by said screw, a wormrevolubly mounted above said spur wheel and adapted to mesh therewith,means for imparting a rotary movement to said worm and said screw, andmeans carried by said swiveled head for causing said screw to feedthrough said sleeve by virtue of said worm.

4;. A bending device comprising a yoke, a revoluble sleeve carriedthereby, a spur wheel carried by said sleeve, a screw extending throughthe sleeve, a swiveled head carried by said screw, means arranged abovesaid sleeve for engagement with said spur wheel to impart a rotarymovement thereto, and means'carried by said swiveled head for causingsaid screw to feed through said sleeve.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

VITO PILIA.

Witnesses:

MAX H. SROLOVITZ, K. H. BUTLER.

